Born in the charming city of Naperville Illinois, my love for animals started at just the wee age of 7. My mother, a master groomer/instructor herself, would seat me at the side table near her grooming station. As she place a brush in my hand, she early on introduced me to the wonderful arts of grooming. {Sure, you could say grooming is in my blood :) } It is then, I realized I wanted to always be around these furry and fun loving creatures!

 

     By fourteen I was made a professional pet bather and by sixteen I was behind my very own table as a pet groomer, managing our family salon and sculpting heeds of fluff. Years later (25 years and counting...), I have instructed grooming to students in the midwest, I have worked as a trainer as well as an animal behaviorist and I continue to study Japanese to further learn and incorporate fusion grooming styles and spa treatment techniques not often found in the states. I have owned and operated several grooming companies in Illinois, Wisconsin and now here in Florida. I am still growing, learning and adventuring in all aspects within my grooming journey and I personally thank you for being a part of that!

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Why Environment Matters:

    Over the course of my career, I have been blessed enough to work in about every environment suitable for pet grooming. Utilizing such experience ensures that I assess your pets personality and innate characteristics to an environment that suits them best for an overall pleasant experience. From working at a vet clinic for several years in the early 2000's, multiple salon locations to mobile units, kennel facilities, training facilities, cage free salons, crated salons, doggy daycares, and even out of my own home at one time. Finding the best fit for your pet comes quite natural in decades of experience, being able to recognize that not all dogs are the same and not all dogs do well in any given environment. Some dogs are not well suited for salon, some not for mobile, some require vet supervision while being groomed, etc. 

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    To best serve you means to transparently address your pets unique characteristics with the right fit for your pet, in the best interest of the pet, not mine. Sometimes that's with me and sometimes it is not. It is easy to assume a groomer is just a groomer, but the environment is just as important, a key component, if not one of the top components when finding a pet groomer. Each pet I work with is assessed for the best possible environment for their well being. If it's not a fit with me, I am adamant to helping you find a fit that is. Remember! Dogs are instinctual by nature, and yes, dogs are affected by their surroundings, just like us humans.

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Why Approach Matters:

    Some pets require additional training throughout the grooming process. Some simply need a more empathetic and gentle approach. Some dogs are very anxious, scared or timid. Some are enthusiastic! Some have been turned away by previous groomers. Some dogs won't let you (the pet owner) near them with a brush! Some dogs are born ready for a groom! Being a knowledgable groomer means knowing animal behavior and dog training, in addition to how to groom.

    A groomers approach is paramount in providing your pet with a truly tailored to them experience. Being a real pack leader for a dog, means speaking real dog language. Years of dog talk and training has its benefits and I can assure you,  understanding your pup is second nature. Knowing how to work with dogs with a vast array of  backgrounds, allows me to do what I do best, style them. And a great styling is conducive to a well adjusted pup for grooming. It absolutely requires both.

    Inclusive to all my clients, throughout all my years grooming, it's not just a haircut, but a transformation in responses around behavior during a groom, as well as an energetically welcoming environment your pet can feel relaxed in thus resulting in a beautiful groom and experience.

    I have specialized for years in training/working with dogs who are timid, anxious, aggressive as well as dogs who are needing gentle, patient and compassionate care. Your pets response to being handled is part my job to ensure they learn how to establish healthy grooming patterns (if necessary) to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for them. Such noticeable changes can often be seen in just one visit, sometimes in a few. It is very important to me, when working together, I develop a relationship with your pet. And like all relationships, this takes time, care and dedication for all involved. 

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​Fast foward, flashback 2013-2023...:)

     Shortly after our family's move to Florida back in 2013,  I opened a cute and quaint grooming salon named Nina Taylor Pet Salon. I couldn't go another week thinking of how to accommodate a growing, pet friendly community in the Sarasota area.  My daughter was just about four months old when we opened our Florida salon. Not to many years later, I opened a second location servicing Longboat Key.

    Nina Taylor Pet Salon was a blessing of support, a truly unique experience utilizing a cage free environment, energetically welcoming, completely pet friendly and a fun filled spa day for all guests. I expanded on the arts by offering photography, with holiday photos being a well known reoccurring annual request.

     NTPS was a passion filled success for ten wonderful years, even being awarded Best of Pet Styling in Sarasota 2020 and 2021. Moving forward in personal growth, adventure and change, I took to go mobile. The Taylored Canine was born. No longer at a store front, but still the same Nina and energy, just now at your door and completely Taylored to your pet's individual needs. 

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    I want to personally welcome you to The Taylored Canine. It's more than just a business, it's a family. This is my working purpose and has been for many, many years. If how a service that exceeds expectations should be represented, I hope you find that here. A place in which I would offer nothing less than the best service and treatment to the people and animals I personally care for.

                           

                                                                                                                  ...The Taylored Canine